After Burn
by hannah-jennifer
Summary: Sam and Andy attempt to explore their newfound engagement when another ex-boyfriend, sent by a vengeful Luke, tries to break them apart. Sequel to Back to You
1. Chapter 1

**I want to thank you all for reviewing/favorite-ing my other story, Back to You. This is the sequel. And I tried to explain it to Jen, you know, what happens, and she got confused. So I'm hoping you'll understand, considering it won't be all, never mind. Anyways, I had no idea what to call this. At all. But I decided on the title quickly so I could start writing.**

**RBRBRBRBRB**

**After Burn**

_Andy was interrupted when the phone made a shrill ring. Andy sighed, looking at Molly, stood up and made her way to the counter where her phone sat. She inspected the caller ID, the number unrecognizable, picked it up, and pressed talk._

"_Hello?" Andy picked up a dog toy, ready to pass it to Molly. She whined, backing up excitably._

"_Hi, is Andy there?" Andy knew the voice, it was familiar. She just didn't know who it was. She glanced over at Molly, who was swinging her head wildly, fuzzy toy in mouth._

"_Speaking," she said, warily. She was really tempted to just hang up and call Sam. But for all she knew, her dad could've been hurt and some random stranger was calling to inform her. But the voice was familiar._

"_Oh, hi Andy. Remember me?" the voice asked. It was very deep, but it was rough. It sent shivers down her spine, but not in the same way Sam's voice did. Andy shook her head, before realizing the man couldn't see her._

"_N-no." she answered, putting the phone on the counter, clicking speaker. She reached for the fridge, pouring herself some wine to calm her nerves._

"_It's me, Ands. Kevin, remember?" Andy's heart stopped beating, her hand covering her mouth in a silent gasp. Molly, upon hearing Kevin's voice, jumped up. Thinking someone was there, she ran to the door, barking. The sound of her rough voice and nails scraping on the hardwood snapped her out of her terror. She cleared her throat, downing the rest of her wine before answering._

"_Oh, hi, Kevin. Uh, not to sound rude, but why are you- Molly! Stop that, no one's there!" Andy yelled, Molly running back towards her. "Why are you calling?"_

"_You have a dog? Cool, you know, I've always liked do-"_

"_Why are you calling?"_

"_I can't tell you now, meet me at the park tomorrow, at three?" he sounded hopeful, and Andy being Andy, couldn't help but say yes._

"_Okay," she agreed. What Sam didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and besides, he was at Sara's for a week._

RBRBRBRBRBRB

Andy sat up, disoriented. She looked around the bedroom, wincing as the light from the sun burned her eyes. She pulled the sheets tighter around herself, smiling softly. She reached her hand to the side, only to find cold sheets. And she felt herself begin to panic. Her heartbeat sped up, her forehead began to sweat, and she felt the need to scream.

It was just another morning for her. She knew Sam usually woke up before her, so he was either running Molly, or somewhere in the house. But after being kidnapped, she felt as though she was back to the day when she got the call. When she entered Sam's house to find a beaten Molly and missing Sam.

Andy took another deep breath, letting the air slowly escape from her lungs. She could hear Sam, and it sounded like he was by the front of the house. _Maybe he just got back from the run, and he's talking to Molly._ She sighed, reaching down to grab Sam's discarded shirt. Pulling it over her head, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, standing up.

As Andy began to make her way down the hall, she could hear the voices become louder and clearer. She could hear Sam raise his voice a bit, and she realized that he wasn't talking to Molly. There was someone else. And it was _female._

"Look, I love you, but I have Andy now. And I can't just leave her, I can't." she heard Sam say, she quickened her pace. She leaned her back against the wall, the small one that jutted out of the hall, blocking her view from the entrance way. She held her breath, hoping they wouldn't notice she was there. She only heard a frustrated sigh. Andy sucked in a breath, and rounded the corner, surprising Sam, who smiled warmly. His eyes darting between the two women.

Andy's eyes focused on her. Her hair was perfectly straight, a dark brown, almost black. Her smile was warm and she had killer dimples. Her eyes were dark brown, like Sam's. Her face was familiar, Andy remembered she had something to do with Sam.

"Andy, hey," Sam greeted, pressing a kiss to her hair. Andy eyed him, smiling tightly.

"Hi, so, are you going to introduce me?" Andy asked, her voice a bit too high for her liken.

"Oh, right, sorry. Andy, this is Sara. Sara, this is Andy." Andy felt like a thousand pound man was just lifted off her chest. _It's just Sara, no big deal. Wait, it's Sara, Sam's family. This is a big deal!_

"Uh, right. Well, I'm sorry I'm not dressed for the occasion," Andy apologized, chuckling lightly. Sara smiled, extending her hand. Andy shook it, hoping she didn't feel it shake.

"Hi, Andy, nice to meet you. I was hoping to steal my brother away for a bit," she said sweetly. Her voice was soft and smooth, as was her pale skin.

"Okay, but, uh, how long is _a bit?_" she asked, a tight smile still on her face.

"A week. And I'm sorry for such short notice, but Kibbles' had her puppies and I need his help," she explained. Sam nodded, understanding. Andy, on the other hand, did not.

"Kibbles?"

"The dog I'm fostering. Really sweet girl, and I need Sam's help with the puppies."

"Yeah, Sara, I'd love to help but Molly doesn't like other dogs," Sam excused, eyes hooked on Andy's. Andy nodded, agreeing. Though her time here was only a month, she had noticed that Molly only liked certain dogs.

"Well," Sara started, an idea popping into her head, "Why doesn't Andy stay here and take care of Molly, while you go with me?"

Sam shook his head, but Andy could see that he wanted to go. She turned her head to look at Molly, who was passed out on her back, snoring loudly.

"Sam, you should go. I'll be fine with Molly, besides, it's only a week, and you can call and talk to us every day," Andy said, trying to sound convincing. Sara nodded in agreement. Sam looked between the two.

"Fine," he sighed, "I'll go. But for _one week._ And I'm calling _every day_, once in the morning, and at night. When are we leaving?" he asked, turning to his sister. He wrapped an arm around Andy's waist, pulling her to his side. He grabbed her hand in hand, his eyes briefly looking into hers.

"Tonight, around 7. I want to go around town to look at some stuff, Dan wants some more food. Anyways, that should give you time to pack and say good-bye," she smiled. Sam nodded, telling her that he'd see her later. With a pat to Molly's head, a _'nice to meet you, Andy'_, and a hug from her brother, Sara was gone.

RBRBRBRBRBRB

"You're old," Andy commented when Sam groaned, yet again, when he went to pull his suitcase out of the closet. And sat, crossed-legged, on the bed, Molly sitting next to her. Sam just glared at her, turning to face the closet.

"I'm not that old," he answered sharply. Andy laughed and stood up. She walked over to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Sam stood up, sighing, grabbing her wrist. Andy kissed her shoulder, rubbing her nose in his shirt, inhaling his scent.

"I love you," she whispered. She could practically hear Sam smile. He turned around, kissed her on the lips, before resting his chin on her head.

"I love you, too."

"Enough to tell me how old you are?" Sam pulled back, mouth agape. She only laughed, kissing his quickly, before attempting to stare him down. She failed miserably when his hands grabbed her waist, tickling her. They fell on the bed, laughing and screaming, Molly barking. It wasn't until Molly had wedged herself between them that Sam stopped his assault.

"Promise not to laugh?" Sam asked, doubting her answer would be truthful. Andy nodded. _Just what I thought, liar._

Sam made a mumble, something Andy didn't catch. She cupped a hand around her ear, mockingly. Sam just growled, but lived up to his promise.

"Forty," he finally admitted. He waited for Andy to start laughing, and it didn't take long. Andy started giggling, but stopped right away. Sam just glared.

"Don't worry, Sammy," she patted his cheek with her hand, kissing him, "You're not old. _That old, _I should say. I mean, you're only 13 years older. And besides, I always had a thing for older men," she whispered. Sam laughed, kissing her soundly.

A knock at the door broke them apart, Molly's active barking making Andy laugh. Sam sighed, getting up, grabbing his suitcase, giving a big pull. It came out, almost making Sam fall over. Andy just laughed, going to get the door.

"Hi," she greeted when she seen Sara on the other side. Sara waved, poking her head in to look for her brother. "He's still packing. Come on in."

Sara nodded, following Andy to the kitchen. She declined Andy's offer for a drink, instead opting for giving Molly a hug. They made small talk until Sam appeared, suitcase in hand. Sara nodded, giving her brother some time to say good-bye. She excused herself, claiming to be going to the car.

Sam stood in front of Andy, his hands on her hips. He looked deeply into her eyes. He kissed her soundly, knowing it'd have to keep him going through the week. He pulled back, brushing his nose against hers. She smiled softly, biting her lip.

"You know what to do with Molly, but I left a note just in case. You have permission to use my truck to take Molly to the park. _Don't _ ruin my truck. Poker night is Thursday, I'm not sure if you want to go, but I think Nash is going. So if you do go, win us some money," he chuckled. Andy nodded, her eyes suddenly stinging with tears. _It's only a week_, she reminded herself.

Sam, of course, noticed. His hand caressed her cheek, wiping away the tears that had fallen. He kissed her again, moving, with what looked to be great difficulty, to the door. Andy followed, sniffing. Sam turned around, kneeling on the ground. Molly ran up, letting Sam hug her. He rubbed his nose in her fur, whispering to her, before standing up.

"I'm going to miss you, Andy." He looked into her eyes, pressing one last kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered, her voice breaking. She swallowed. It felt as if he was leaving forever, instead of a week. Sam turned around, and closed the door.

Andy waited until the car was out of the drive way and down the street before walking to the living room. She collapsed on to the couch, Molly quickly joining her. She sat between Andy and the back of the couch, her head on Andy's lap. Andy sighed, turned on the TV, and cuddled with Molly.

**RBRBRBRBRB**

**So, I hoped you liked it! I did! Oh, so very much! Anyways, I really want you guys to review, like, **_**really**_** want you to! So review, please. And I'm going to add a couple of more characters, one of which is a new addition to Sam, Andy, and Molly's family. Can you guess what/who?**


	2. Chapter 2

**So thank you, thank you, for the kind reviews. And I'm going to give a treat, a part from Molly's POV! I was very excited to write it, I was thinking about how'd I go about it, last night.**

**RBRBRBRBRB**

Andy looked at the clock, 8:30. She sighed, today couldn't have gone by any slower. Sam had just left about two hours ago, and in that time she had watched a rerun of Law and Order, went for a run with Molly, and cleaned the kitchen. Now she sat, toy in hand, playing with the skinny dog. She was barking, and Andy was about to just throw the dog outside to calm down, her headache was brutal.

Andy was interrupted when the phone made a shrill ring. Andy sighed, looking at Molly, stood up and made her way to the counter where her phone sat. She inspected the caller ID, the number unrecognizable, picked it up, and pressed talk.

"Hello?" Andy picked up a dog toy, ready to pass it to Molly. She whined, backing up excitably.

"Hi, is Andy there?" Andy knew the voice, it was familiar. She just didn't know who it was. She glanced over at Molly, who was swinging her head wildly, fuzzy toy in mouth.

"Speaking," she said, warily. She was really tempted to just hang up and call Sam. But for all she knew, her dad could've been hurt and some random stranger was calling to inform her. But the voice was familiar.

"Oh, hi Andy. Remember me?" the voice asked. It was very deep, but it was rough. It sent shivers down her spine, but not in the same way Sam's voice did. Andy shook her head, before realizing the man couldn't see her.

"N-no." she answered, putting the phone on the counter, clicking speaker. She reached for the fridge, pouring herself some wine to calm her nerves.

"It's me, Ands. Kevin, remember?" Andy's heart stopped beating, her hand covering her mouth in a silent gasp. Molly, upon hearing Kevin's voice, jumped up. Thinking someone was there, she ran to the door, barking. The sound of her rough voice and nails scraping on the hardwood snapped her out of her terror. She cleared her throat, downing the rest of her wine before answering.

"Oh, hi, Kevin. Uh, not to sound rude, but why are you- Molly! Stop that, no one's there!" Andy yelled, Molly running back towards her. "Why are you calling?"

"You have a dog? Cool, you know, I've always liked do-"

"Why are you calling?"

"I can't tell you now, meet me at the park tomorrow, at three?" he sounded hopeful, and Andy being Andy, couldn't help but say yes.

"Okay," she agreed. What Sam didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and besides, he was at Sara's for a week. She hung up, moving to the back door, calling for Molly. The dog listened obediently, pushing through the screen door to the back yard, instantly moving behind a tree, out of Andy's sight.

Andy turned around, picked up a rock and placed it at the door to keep it open. She made her way back to the kitchen, about to pour herself some wine. But the sudden wave of nausea made her rethink. She bolted to the bathroom, pulling her hair up as she went. She leaned over the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach into the bowl.

She pulled a cloth out of the basket, put water on it, and wiped her face. She heard scratching at the door and guessed that the rock didn't hold. She sighed, popped a gravol and made her way to the back door. She opened it, Molly running through before looking back at her. Andy watched as the dog gave her a once over, studying her.

Andy walked up to her, patting her on the head. She lifted her into her arms, walking to the bed room. She quickly got changed, lying down on Sam's side, his scent surrounding her. Molly curled up on Andy's side, falling asleep.

RBRBRBRB

Andy woke up with a crick in her neck, a pounding headache, and an aching stomach. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to eat, but she had to meet with Kevin today. And it wasn't that she was meeting with an ex boyfriend, but this particular one had asked her to wait for him when he went to jail for a few years. She took those said years to move away and out of his life. She knew something had to be up, but she was dead sent on making herself appear happy. And she was, aside from the fact she was kidnapped and raped. And they were amazed at her recovery, but because it was Luke, it seemed more personal, and then he became the only man she feared.

But now she was happy, she was _engaged_ to the man of her dreams, the man she loves. And she lived happily with him and his dog. _Speaking of whom…_

"Molly," Andy called, looking for the missing dog, "Come here, girl!" She heard the clicking of nails running down the hall, felt the bed dip when she pounced on to it. She climbed into Andy's lap, licking her face before bouncing around playfully. Andy laughed, raising her hands to protect herself. The dog eventually calmed, and she followed Andy to the kitchen.

Andy pulled out the kibble from the pantry, but she couldn't help herself, and took a peak at the ingredients. She made a disgusted face, looking down at Molly who sat, waiting. "There's no meat in this, Moll. So, since Daddy's gone, you get a treat," she smiled sneakily as she pulled out some raw chicken. She took a knife, cut the breast, grabbed some tongs and fed it to the dog. Molly swallowed, barking appreciably. Andy grabbed Molly's collar, pulling her to the back room.

Once the crate door was locked, Andy made her way to the shower. She would hear Molly barking, but she'd have to stay for an hour to rid the risk of bloat. Andy smiled, wishing Sam was here so she could share her _knowledge_.

RBRBRBRBRB

The park wasn't very busy that day. It was colder, now that the fall had settled, and the people who were there, were bundled up. Andy shivered, pulling her small black coat around her tighter. She peered down at Molly, who was walking next to her, leash in mouth. Andy found it charming, really, how Molly tried to walk herself, trying to outsmart her. And when it came down to it, Molly would come out smarter, not that Andy would admit that. Sure, Andy was smart, but Molly was clever, and could weasel her way out of any situation, _just like Sam._

"Andy!" she heard a man call, and she looked up to see him. He was wearing dark jeans with a puffy black winter jacket, _Sam wears leather, and Sam has better taste. _He had dirty blond hair, which was shaggy and long. Andy found herself wondering why she ever thought he was attractive in the first place.

"Hi, Kevin," she greeted tightly. She could see Molly tense when Kevin approached, and she pulled the leash tighter. Kevin waved his hand towards a bench, but Andy shook her head, she'd much rather walk as opposed to sit with him. Kevin just nodded, following Andy as they walked the path.

"So, how are you, Ands?" he asked, his voice seemed warm and friendly, but his blue eyes seemed cold and dull, _like Luke_. Molly reached forward, sniffing him, before letting out a low growl. Andy pulled her back, alarmed.

"Sorry, and I'm good, I'm fine. Busy, but I'm happy, you?" she said, and she meant it. She was happy, and the wedding planning had her busy. Gail and Chris' wedding was last month, so now all the focus was on hers' and Sam's wedding.

Kevin nodded, "I'm good, not sure of you knew, but I got out of the cage two weeks ago. I'm on probation," he informed, he smiled as if he thought they were getting back together. _Scoff, like I would wait for him._ She nodded, she did know, but the funny thing was that Luke's jail mate was released a couple of weeks ago. _No, they couldn't have a connection. His name was Leslie Welkings. _

"Really? It must be nice to be free for once," she smiled awkwardly. She was really uncomfortable, and so was Molly. Her gait was stiff and hurried, she was pulling on the leash.

"It is. So, Andy, you seeing someone?" There was the question she was waiting for, she knew he would ask. She nodded, watching as his face fell.

"Yeah, I'm engaged actually," she couldn't help but smile. Every time she thought about being Mrs. Swarek, she just felt warm inside.

"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty sure I seen him," she looked at him, confused, "Callaghan, right? I never thought you'd date anymore bad boys, let alone be engaged to one."

Andy shook her head quickly, "No, I'm not marrying Luke, I want to stay as far away from him as possible. Maybe he didn't give the whole story where he _cheated_ on me, then _kidnapped_ my fiancé, then _kidnapped _me. That's why he's in jail," she wanted to scream; instead, she kept her tone quiet, but harsh. He looked guilty,and Andy almost felt bad, but she was too angry.

"I was talking to him, you know, when I was in jail. He seemed hurt, betrayed. Said that he wanted you back. He asked me, Andy, to try and break you and your fiancé up. I'm not going to lie, I don't break promises, and you know that. I just want to warn you, that's what I'm going to do. And I shouldn't be so honest, but I just want you to know that when he gets back, your life will be _hell,_" he warned. Andy just stood up, knowing it wasn't coincidence that he found her. She picked up the pace, practically running away. Kevin watched, a smile spreading on his face.

RBRBRBRB

Molly paced around the kitchen, waiting for Andy to come home. She had dropped her off, unclasped the leash, and walked out of the door. And Molly was worried. Andy was the only _real_ lady that her father loves. _Well, besides me,_ she thought. And Andy was nice, Molly loved her, she was the mother role Molly never had. Molly's mom was never there, and by the time she realized what was going on, she was in a cage in some shelter, with a bunch of other dogs.

She heard once, when Andy was talking to her dad, that she went through something like Molly had. She didn't have a mother, either. And she pretended to be alright, hoping someone would hook on her leash, take her home, and love her. And it wasn't until the handle of the leash was in Sam's hand, did she feel loved. Same with Molly. Sam had saved her, Sam had saved both of them.

And she loved Andy, she was her mother. She wished she could give Andy a mother, like Andy gave her one. Andy took care of her, she loved her. And Molly loved Andy, too. So she wanted to protect Andy, to take care of her. But she couldn't if she was locked in the house.

She knew she could get out of the back door, but the wooden door was in front, blocking her. And the front door wasn't an option, _but maybe…_

Molly's eyes drifted to the kitchen window that sat above the counter. The glass was open to let in a breeze, and the mesh looked pretty flimsy. Which gave Molly the perfect opportunity. She backed up until she was practically out of the kitchen, ran, and leaped onto the counter. She pushed again, and felt the mesh give out. Molly fell onto the front porch with a thump, the people across the street staring at her. She barked, stood up, and made a run for it.

Molly walked the familiar streets, some people trying to grab her, others just staring. It took about 15 minutes, but Molly arrived at her destination. She walked over the rocks on the beach, put her head in the wind and sniffed. She picked up Andy's scent almost instantly. She broke into a run, hearing the rocks rub together beneath her.

When Andy came into view, Molly pushed herself harder, clearing the 30 feet quickly. Andy looked up, surprised, but wrapped her arms around Molly's neck. She held the dog tightly, Molly licking her face. She could taste the salt, it was just like when she came home after the vet and her Daddy was crying. Molly let Andy just hold her.

Every now and then, Andy would speak, but other than that it was silent. The only sounds were the city behind them, and the ocean.

RBRBRBRB

**Hoped you liked it. I enjoyed writing Molly's POV, it was fun. So, I'll ask, REVIEW, please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so, sooooooo, so sorry for not updating. My laptop was at Lee's so I couldn't write, and my computer doesn't have Word. So here is chapter 3, which I've been thinking about for 3 weeks. And for shout outs, I'd like to thank my awesome boyfriend, Jason,**

**RBRBRBRBRB**

_Riiiiiiiiiiiing, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, _came the shrill sound of Andy's phone. She ran into the kitchen, Molly hot on her heals. She picked up the phone, smiling at the name, and answered.

"Hello," she greeted, a smile gracing her features. She smiled at her outfit, which consisted of boy shorts and Sam's shirt. Molly looked up at her, ears perked, stub wiggling. Molly whimpered anxiously, lifting a paw, and then putting it down.

"Hey," he responded, voice rough with fatigue. Andy knew he was tired and worried about her being alone. But she was fine, _except for Kevin, _she thought, bitterly.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to sound happy and okay. She was happy, to hear from him, but she was scared because of Kevin. She pulled a strand of hair between her fingers, curling it nervously.

"Just woke up, decided to give the future _Mrs. Swarek_ a call. What about you, pretty lady?" he laughed, and she laughed along with him. Her voice quieted down into a sigh. _I have to tell him._

"Watching TV with Molly, I woke up about an hour ago. I, uh, I have something to tell you." _Now or never. _ She opened her mouth, but it was covered with her hand, the phone dropping from it. It hit the floor with a clatter, Molly instantly moving protectively towards it. Andy bolted to the bathroom, a hand over her mouth, one on her stomach.

"Andy," Sam called through the phone. Molly's nails clicked on the tile, standing over the phone. Sam heard the click, knowing the training he did with his dog would come in handy. "Moll, pick up the phone and take it to Mommy." All he heard was silence, Molly cocking her head in confusion.

Sam sighed, calling for Andy once more. He could faintly hear her gagging, a splashing sound following it. He knew she was throwing up, but he needed to at least talk to her, it always calmed her down. "Molly," he said sternly, catching her attention, "Pick up the phone, carry to Andy." He said it slowly so that she could understand.

He finally heard her jaw clamp around the phone, lifting off the ground. He heard the steady click of her nails, making her way down the hall. Andy heard them, too. She pushed out her hand to shut the door, not wanted Molly to see her sick. But her hand never came in contact with the door, instead sinking into plush fur. She turned her head to face her, a phone in the dog's strong grip.

"Andy," she heard his voice call her name, softly, almost angel like. She grabbed a cloth, one that she already doused with water, and wiped her face. She grabbed the phone from Molly, patting her on the head before standing up. She grabbed her toothbrush, putting toothpaste on it.

"I'm here," she finally responded. Sam sighed, relieved. He stayed silent for a moment while she brushed her teeth. She spit, then rinsed, then answered again. "I'm fine, Sam. I just ate something bad," she reassured.

"Are you sure? Andy what if you are….?" He didn't finish, letting the question hang in the air. Andy stared at her reflection, and even though she knew it _was_ a possibility, she wasn't sure, and didn't want to give his hopes up.

"No, there is no way. I've only been sick since yesterday, and Trace is taking me to the doctors, the medicine I need is prescription," she explained. She pulled her hair into a bun, putting the phone on speaker. She stared her reflection down for a moment. She sighed, and walked out of the bathroom. She grabbed the phone, and a fluffy blanket, and settled down on the couch.

"Okay, Andy. I want to come home," he whispered shyly, and Andy turned her eyes downcast. She shook her head but knew he couldn't see her.

"Take your time, you deserve some time away from me," she chuckled.

"Andy, I'm marrying you, I don't want to spend a minutes away from you," he admitted. Andy chuckled, coming up with a quick response.

"Oh really? So you don't mind me tagging along for your bachelors party? I want to make sure that there's no strippers there."

"Sweetheart, the only one who I'd ever look at naked would be you. And besides, Ollie isn't allowed strippers," he laughed. She was happy that their conversation made a turn for the lighter. She smiled, reaching down and rubbing Molly's velvety ears. She stayed silent for a while, listening to Sam rant about the puppies. She questioned him playfully when he said that he was bringing her home a puppy of her own. She asked about Sara, her husband, she just wanted to hear his voice.

"Oh, crap, Sam. I have to go; I need to go to see Dr. Lowe. But I will talk to you tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you, and I miss you," she admitted. She walked into their room, pulling out jeans and a tank top.

"I miss you, too. And I love you. Oh, and Andy, you need to pick out a name for the puppy," she laughed. She angrily buttoned her jeans, wishing that they'd fit easier. She nodded, whispered her bye, and hung up.

RBRBRBRBRBRB

"Hey Traci," Andy greeted, climbing into her friends car. She buckled herself in, turning up the radio.

"Hey, sunshine," she responded sarcastically. "You look like crap."

"Thanks, Trace. That's exactly what I wanted to hear," she grumbled. Traci looked over at her, reaching her hand across and squeezing reassuringly.

"What's wrong, Andy?" she asked, hoping that the answer would be that she was just sick. Andy stared straight ahead, her eyes began watering.

"I don't know, Trace. I mean, what if I am pregnant? There's a possibility that it could be Luke's, 'cause of the kidnapping," she sniffed, a tear falling down her cheek. Traci reached over, giving her the best one-armed hug that she could.

RBRBRBRBRB

"Now, Ms. McNally, you said that you've been feeling sick, lately?" Dr. Lowe asked, inspecting Andy's eyes with the light. Andy nodded, fiddling with her hands. Dr. Lowe moved away from Andy, moving to write on his clipboard.

"Yeah, it only started two days ago, but I've been really tired, and I was wondering. Because me and my fiancé, you know, um," she stuttered, not sure how she could phrase it. Dr. Lowe nodded, understanding.

"We will do a blood test to see if you are, in fact, pregnant. So just wait for a minute, and I will go get ready," he explained, moving out of the room. Andy sighed, moving to lie down on the table.

RBRBRBRBRB

"Well, Andy, I want to congratulate you. You are, indeed, pregnant. About a month and a half along. I know it's big news, but I think you were expecting it. Anyways, we can make an appointment at the front desk with Bernadette. Any questions? We can give you a website or books to help get through the pregnancy, considering this is your first." He explained, his voice calm and cool.

Andy nodded, numb. Dr. Lowe nodded back, going to leave the room. But Andy spoke up, "I do, actually. I have some questions, about some, uh, _stuff_. You know what happened a little bit ago. And I, uh, I wanted to know if you could do the DNA test?" she pleaded, _Crap, how am I supposed to break it to Sam?_

"Of course, but we will have to wait until the baby is born. That is, of course, only if the baby doesn't clearly resemble the father. I have met Luke, he looks nothing like Sam. So, if the baby looks like you, or if you still want to, then we will do the test."

"Okay, let me just get ready and I'll go make an appointment."

**RBRBRBRBRB**

**Duh, duh, dunnnnnnn! Sorta cliffy, I guess. Anyways, who do you think the daddy is? And if you have any doggy names for Andy's puppy, they will be greatly appreciated, but I do have an awesome name in mind! Happy Halloween by the way!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, thanks for the reviews. And I was going to update, yesterday, but I then realized, me being a such an emotional mess, it would end poorly. So, I have come up with a name for the puppy, which will be revealed in this chapter, probably. And the kind of puppy, I have yet to pick. But if you have any ideas to what kind of dog he should be, review. Which you should do anyways.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Rookie Blue, Ben would be shirtless all the time ;) **

**RBRBRBRBRB**

**Traci rubbed soothing circles** on her best friends back. Of all the things that could've happened, _this_ had to. And she knew Andy was happy to be pregnant, but she knew it would kill her if it were Luke's. She knew that Sam and Andy would love it nonetheless, but it would still be difficult. And besides, Andy was just starting to recover from the kidnapping. Sure, she went to work and was okay, but she was only beginning to get back to herself.

Traci excused herself to go call Frank, she wasn't going to work today, and she _couldn't_. Her friend needed her, and Frank should understand, or at least, she hoped her would. When Frank finally picked up, Traci talked loudly, trying to drown out the sound of Andy's crying. And it wasn't easy.

Molly heard the crying, _seen _it. And she had an idea. Which included going over to her dog bed and bringing Andy her baby blanket, then one Sam had bought when he first adopted the dog. And Andy, being the emotional wreck she was, began to cry harder. It seemed that she was okay until she found out she was pregnant, then the hormones _really_ took place.

Traci hung up the phone, turning back to her friend. She smiled slightly when she saw Molly pushing the blanket into Andy's lap, who couldn't help but chuckle at the dog's antics.

"Andy," Traci interrupted, moving to the living room, "How are you doing?" Andy looked at her, her eyes and face red and blotchy, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"I'm, I-I, I'm fine, Trace. Thanks for taking me to see Dr. Lowe. And I know you have to pick up Leo, I'll be fine by myself. Besides, Sam should call anytime now," she smiled weakly, trying to be convincing, but failing. Traci nodded, hugging Andy, before grabbing her stuff. She stopped before she left, knowing it was useless to try to convince Andy to let her stay.

"If you need _anything_, Andy, call me."

"Yup, will do," she confirmed. Andy sat back onto the couch, tears streaming down her face once she heard the door close. _Here_, she thought_, here I can cry my heart out without anyone caring. _

RBRBRBRB

**Sam was worried.** He wasn't sure what was going on with his fiancé, all he knew was that it wasn't good. In fact, the possible outcomes could be really bad. Maybe it wasn't just a flu, maybe it was a disease, or something fatal? All he knew was that even though she went against it, there _was_ a possibility that she was pregnant. They never _tried_, but he knew that they didn't take many precautions. And here he was, up in St. Catherine's, far away from his damsel in distress. Sam chuckled. Nothing worse than describing McNally as a 'damsel in distress', although, with the danger she put herself in.

Sam sighed, he knew he couldn't just abandon his sister with all five puppies, especially when Dan was gone for another two days. And the fact that the puppies have managed to chew most of his items, phone included, he really wanted to go home. Even though he was bringing one with him.

Speaking of whom, the names pup was currently chewing on Sam's shoes. He picked him up, cuddled him to his neck and smelled the new puppy smell. He hasn't been really with a puppy for a couple of years, since Molly has grown up. But this pup would give her a run for her money. He was quite the character, and got his way with all the girls, kind of like himself.

Sam picked up his phone, cursing at the new scratch on the screen, and dialed her number. He paced around the guest room anxiously, waiting for her to pick up. The nameless pup bit at his heals, and he cursed as he almost stepped on him. It rang four times before she picked up.

"Hello?" she asked, sniffing lightly. He was confused as to why she was crying. _PMSing maybe? The last time was rough, all the yelling and screaming, and worst, according to her, no intimacy. And if she was pregnant, it's basically the same thing, only worse. _

"Hey, Andy, how are ya doing?" he asked her playfully, trying to lighten the mood. He could hear her laugh, and mutter his dog's name, before answering.

"Oh, I'm great, just can't wait until you get home. I have some news," she admitted. Sam knew what 'news' meant, but decided to play along. But he played poorly.

"Really? Can't wait!" he answered, sounding too overly excited. He heard Andy sigh, could practically feel her frown in annoyance.

"You know what 'news' means, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess I really wanted to tell you in person, but over-the-phone works, too. So, Sam Swarek, you were right. You are going to be a father!" she informed, her voice sounding kind of shaky. Sam believed that it was because of the news. He practically jumped around the room excitedly, promising Andy that he would be home in two days, instead of five, because Dan was coming home early.

After about half an hour of sending loving words about the baby, Sam remembered to ask her when the pup bit his finger. "Oh, Andy, almost forgot. I know it's a lot, with the baby on the way, which is _awesome, _but did you figure out a name for the pup?"

Andy was shocked that he managed to change the conversation so quickly, but any longer, she might have gone on about Luke and Kevin, so she was glad that he had changed the subject. "Yeah, yeah I have. I decided on _Merdock_."

Sam chuckled at the name, which was rather odd, even for his fiancé. "I love the name, but whatever you do, don't give the baby a name like that!" he joked. Andy smiled at him, knowing that he did, in fact, love the name.

"I won't, I promise. Ha, ha, but I have to go, Molly needs to go out and I need a shower. So, see ya, baby daddy," she kidded.

"See ya, momma," he joked back, "But, Andy, I love you. And thank you for giving me, _us,_ a baby."

"You're welcome, Sam. I love you, too."

RBRBRBRBRBRB

**So, I will tell you now that did **_**not**_** end the way I thought. Actually, she wasn't even supposed to tell him about the baby, but that is just what happens when I'm an emotional wreck, ha ha. Anyways, if you have any ideas about what kind of dog Merdock should be, I have a couple, PLEASE review your choice. I really want some suggestions. REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I decided, that I'm going to make a little piece where Andy is on the job, because I realized that I have, like, nothing about them on the job. And for the sake of the story, we'll just say that she only got time off for recovery. And, the Gail/Chris wedding is, I think, next chapter, once Sam returns, ha. **

**RBRBRBRBRB**

"So, you excited?" Chris asked Andy, breaking the silence that had settled in the cruiser. Andy glanced over at him, glad that she was paired with him instead of Gail, or anyone else for that matter. She smiled at him, refocusing her eyes on the road.

"For what?" she questioned, playing stupid, when in fact, she knew what he was talking about.

"Your and Swarek's wedding!" he exclaimed like a young boy on Christmas. Andy just chuckled; _shouldn't I be the one asking him that?_

"I am, Chris, but that's not for a while, the Deck wedding is in two weeks. Which, for your info, I am very excited for," she informed him. He smiled warmly at her, picking invisible lint off his uniform.

Andy eyed him up, watching his nervousness with great amusement. "Uh oh, Chris having cold feet?" she picked, playfully. She knew that he was nervous about his mom coming down, but was more than excited to marry Gail.

"What? Ha, Andy, I am _so_ excited! I managed to convince her to let Sam bring his dog, ya know, to be one of the flower girls. I thought it'd be hilarious," he laughed. Andy shook her head, trying to imagine the colourful dog in a pink dress, a basket held in her mouth. She furrowed her eye brows, turning to look at him once the light turned red.

"Molly doesn't have to wear a dress, does she? She doesn't like dressing up, like, at all," she warned. Chris shook his head, laughing at the mental picture of the dog.

"No, Andy, she doesn't. She just needs to walk down the aisle with the Shaw girls, and then she can sit next to you or Swarek." Chris explained. Andy nodded, driving through the intersection, turning into a Tim Horton's. She pulled into the parking lot, putting the car in park.

"You want to go in, or should I?" she asked him, fiddling with the cup holders for change. She pulled out seven dollars and handed it to Chris. He sat there for a moment, a baffled look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing, but since there really was no choice in the manner, I guess I'll go order."

"Sorry," she apologized, sheepishly. Chris gave her a look, clearly telling her that he was kidding, which she laughed at, and then unlocked the door. Andy sat in the car for a few minutes while Chris was inside. She tried to find a good radio station, and while bored, sent Sam a text.

"Sorry I took so long," Chris apologized when he entered the cruiser. He handed her, her coffee before putting his in the cup holder, buckling himself in. Andy took a long drink of her coffee, grateful for the burning sensation that flowed down her throat. The put the cup in the holder and pulled out of the parking lot. In that time, she had forgotten about the text, which surprised her when her phone went off.

Andy cursed quietly, pulling her phone out of her pocket and handing it to Chris. He stared at her momentarily, confused at what she was doing. She raised her eye brows, nodding her head towards the phone. Chris got the message, knowing she would ask to sit in the passenger at the next stop. Chris clicked 'enter', scanning through the settings to read the message.

"Sam says, 'Hey'. What do you wanna say?" he asked, turning the phone sideways to get the full keyboard.

"Ask him how he is, then how Merdock is," she instructed, waiting silently as Chris typed away. The car grew silent whilst they waited his reply.

" 'I'm doing good, can't wait to get home tomorrow. Merdock is great, but he's going to be big.' Who's Merdock?"

"My new pup. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of Bull breed. I don't know exactly, I don't think it's a bull dog, he said it was big. But I'm excited to meet him," she explained.

"Cool," Chris said. The car was silent, let it be until the radio sprang to life.

"D&D at 1809 Briarwood Lane, called in 2 minutes ago," it called. Chris and Andy shared a look, Andy reaching for the radio, Chris informing Sam that they couldn't talk.

RBRBRBRBRB

"What are you talking about, Andy? I'm not drunk," exclaimed a very tipsy Gail, screeching with laughter when Traci fell over the rug, falling on her butt. Andy giggled along with them, looking around the room, looking for the dog that had probably ran to the back room to escape the girls.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say. I'm just not going to take the blame when you fall on your ass outside in the cold," Andy warned. The threat was empty, though, and another scream of laughter could be heard at Traci's attempts to get up. The girls gave in, moving over to her their best friend.

"Girl, you get your hands off me before I tell Sammy that he needs to keep you on a tighter leash," giggled Traci, finally on her feet. Gail continued to laugh uncontrollably, a question for Traci coming to mind.

"Okay girls, we are all sort of drunk, or at least tipsy, except for Andy, although I don't know why," Andy and Traci shared a look, "So, I have some questions. The first one is for Trace," she turned to face Traci, wine glass in hand, "How is Jerry in bed?"

"Gail!" both girls squealed, Traci's arm reaching out and slapping Gail playfully. They continued giggling in a fit, until they began to calm down. Traci decided that, in a sort of drunken state, she couldn't control what she said, and no one would remember anyways.

"He is great, malady! And I could go on and on, but I'd much rather hear about our brother in crime," she laughed. Gail's eyes widened, mouth agape. Andy agreed, laughing as she tried to get Gail to admit.

"Yeah, party girl, come on!" she chided. Gail looked from one girl to the other, mouth pursed.

"Okay." She paused as both girls cheered. "Fantastic!" and the group erupted into laughter once again. "But, who I really want to know about it Mr. Badass cop," she giggled, eye brow raised at Andy.

"Why on Earth would you want to know that?" she asked, baffled.

"Please, sweetheart, if Gail and I didn't have our boys, I would have tried everything in my power," Traci started, but Andy cut her off.

"Fine, fine, but the following words are what he told me to say; 'The best I ever had.' And quite frankly, it's the truth!" she squealed, only then realizing someone was missing. "Wait a sec, where's Noelle?"

"Oh, she said she'd be here at around 9. She had to go see her sister. So she should be here any time now. She said Frank had Erin for the night." And as if on cue, the doorbell rang. Molly ran out from the back room, barking all the way down the hall. Andy rolled her eyes, pulling herself off the chair.

Andy opened the door and smiled, holding Molly back. Noelle smiled back, bending down to pet the soft dog. Andy led her to the living room, and laughed as the other girls squealed in joy at her arrival.

"So, what are we doing right now?" Noelle asked, laughing quietly when Molly jumped next to her on the other chair.

"How our boys are in bed," Gail laughed. The other three girls laughed as well, Noelle tempted to hear this.

"Oh really? And who were you guys on?" Noelle asked, noticing the other girls looking at Andy, who shrugged her shoulders. Noelle eyed her suspiciously, mouth agape slightly.

"And I missed this? Oh, the shame. What did you say?" she asked Andy, who laughed along with Traci and Gail.

"I said that he was the best I ever had, besides, why would you wanna know?" she challenged.

"I was hoping you would say terrible, just so that I would have something to hold against him," she laughed, the other women joining in. "Wait a sec, hold on. Why isn't Andy drunk?" Noelle observed.

"Yeah, why?" Gail and Traci both asked, looking at her curiously. Andy merely shrugged, knowing that telling everyone with Sam would have to wait.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But don't tell the men, Sam wanted to be with me when we told you-" she started, but Gail cut her off.

"Holy shit, she's pregnant," she accused. The room suddenly became silent, all eyes on Andy. A smile took over her face and she nodded, a roar of cheers coming from the four of them. They all jumped up, hurrying to hug and congratulate Andy and her fiancé.

RBRBRBRBRB

**Okay, I was oddly happy with this chapter, and I know I shouldn't be all that happy. I thought it was a crap chapter. And sorry that it wasn't an English Bull dog, I do love the breed. My sister shows two of them, who are total sweethearts and goofs. But I decided on a larger breed, just because my sister also shows that breed, and the dog is a total darling. In case you were wondering, I decided on the Bull Mastiff for Merdock's character. And I chose the name cuz the was a blind and deaf dog named Merdock, who recently found a beautiful home, and he was a beautiful dog.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, what's up? I'm just writing the next chapter to After Burn while playing guitar. Cool right? Wrong. Anyways, I have been dealing with my kitty's six month death anniversary by re-watching Rookie Blue; it helps me deal with withdrawal. Anyways, here it is.**

**RBRBRBRBRB**

Hands clawing, fist grabbing, nails scratching. She was suffocating and she wanted out. She was completely helpless and at this man's mercy. She wasn't sure how this was happening again. How he managed to get to her again. How he managed to hurt her so terribly. She was tired and scared, but she had to fight. _For Sam._

He'd be sad and miserable the rest of her life if she let herself fade. She had to fight. She _had_ to. She kept her eyes open, no matter how much they burned to be closed. She kept her hands around the one that had a grip on her neck, even though she wanted to let her arms fall to her side. She kicked her legs wildly, even though it was no use, he would get what he wanted from her.

But it all seemed so _fake_ to her, like some nightmare. Until she heard the clothes tear. She felt the cold air on her delicate skin, assaulting her senses. The sound snapped her out of her state of acceptance. She kicked, she screamed, and she made damn sure that she was still alive.

He fought her, though, and even as she might, he was still stronger. He wasn't the one locked up for days, the one who was hungry and dehydrated and weak. He was the one who went on with his normal life, eating, drinking, laughing. He was happy with the fact that he had them, that he could do this to her.

It wasn't until her foot collided with her jaw, making a sickening crunch, and she hoped that she broke it, that he let go. But he merely rubbed his jaw, seemed to have snapped it back in place, and then moved towards her once again. She had little time to react, to move, before he had her arms, pulling her to the middle of the room. There was a blindfold placed over her eyes, and she was handcuffed and gagged. She was once again at his mercy.

He stalked over to the other side of the room and picked it up. It glistened in the dim light, the reflection bouncing off the walls. It was smooth, sleek, and very deadly. He pointed it towards her, the curve of it very intimidating. He moved closer to her, standing in front of her. He brought it to her cheek, moving it delicately down her face. He did it slowly, and she could practically see her skin splitting as the knife sliced. She felt the sting, followed by a burn, and the chrisom blood bubbling at the wound. She felt it trickle down her cheek, and drop from her jaw.

Then she heard it.

_A door slam._

RBRBRBRB

Andy woke with a start and braced a hand over her heart, trying to calm her breathing. _Just a nightmare, _she reminded herself, _it's not real_. Except it was. And it happened to her and Sam. She was still having nightmares, even though the shrink cleared her. She had to stay calm, the stress wasn't good for the baby. But she was confused, she never once heard a door slam in her nightmares. Alarmed, she quickly looked around the room, making sure that she was in her bedroom. Which she was. Letting out a relieved breath, she glanced at the clock. _5:27_. At least she had the afternoon shift that day.

_Slam!_

There is was again, the door slamming. But this time it wasn't in her dream. She could hear Molly barking and moving around in the back room, where Andy had left her the night before because she got in the garbage. Andy suddenly felt helpless. She was a strong woman, she knew, but without Sam, and Molly in the back room, Andy kind of felt lonely, and loneliness meant helplessness, there was no one to depend on.

The house was silent after the slam, but she held her breath, hoping to hear something, or maybe she was hoping to hear nothing. But either way, she pulled open the bedside table and grabbed her gun. Pulling off the safety, she lifted herself out of the bed, moving stealthily out of her room. She raised the gun slightly, back against the hall wall, as she made her way to the front of the house.

"I'm a cop and I have a gun. I'll shoot if I have to," she warned to the intruder. But, as she moved throughout the rest of the house, the creaking of her footsteps and the sound of her voice with the only sound in the house, she realized that whoever it was, they were gone.

Andy sighed and ran a hand though her hair, walking to the back room. She opened the door, barely having a wide enough gap to look in, before Molly came bursting through, tearing through the house. Andy opened the back door, waiting for the barking and scratching to end, before Molly looked up at her, going into the back yard. Andy followed, standing on the deck, arms crossed.

"Good try, Moll, already checked for someone." Molly just woofed in return. Quickly doing her business, Molly scampered back into the house. Andy closed, and locked the door and followed her. The duo made their way to the kitchen, Andy pouring Molly some food, then making herself a pot of coffee.

RBRBRBRBRB

"I'm telling you, Traci, someone was in my house this morning," Andy repeated, trying to get through to her friend. Traci just shook her head, stapling another stack of papers. The girls were on desk duty, trying to finish their paper work, considering they were busy the next few days. It was 5 days until Chris and Gail's wedding, and they had to have a bachelorette party the next night.

"Then why didn't you report it?" Traci asked, turning to look at Andy, who was typing away on the computer.

"I don't know, nothing was stolen. Maybe it was Dad stopping by. Sometimes he just opens the door, looks around, and leaves. But that's usually when he's tempted to drink or something. I'll ask him later," she explained. Andy stood up, and then walked over to the garbage, throwing out her empty coffee cup.

"Okay," Traci said slowly, a bit skeptical, "Wait, isn't Sam supposed to come back today?" She watched as her best friend's face lit up at the mention of her fiancé.

"Yes, he is. And I am very, _very_, excited. Which brings me here, I have to get changed, and shift is over in a few minutes." With that, Andy was gone, headed to the locker rooms.

RBRBRBRBRB

Sam entered the barn with a bounce in his step. It had been five days too long since he had seen Andy, since he has hold her, kissed her. And he missed her like crazy. He wanted to go home with her, show exactly how much he missed her, then just sit and talk to her. He also wanted to see Molly, and even though he spent the last week with six other dogs, there was nothing like his good ol' companion to brighten his mood.

Sam glanced around, not seeing Andy, but spotting Traci. He jogged up to the front desk, interrupting her from making a pile of papers.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I might find Andy McNally?" he asked casually. She looked up at him, eyes wide. A small smile graced her features and she shook her head, chuckling.

"She'll be ready in a few minutes, she's just changing," she informed. Sam nodded, smiled, and then leant against the wall. "Sam?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for, you know, taking care of her. Not many people are willing to do that. She means well, but she can sure be a handful," she said sincerely. Sam merely nodded, trying not to seem too affected by Traci's confession. But before he had time to answer, a gasp from across the room caught his attention.

There stood Andy, the love of his life, the woman of his dreams, and the mother of his child. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, a sweater covering her arms. Her hair was down and wavy, and a large grin sat upon her gorgeous face. Her legs began to more her towards him, and he opened his arms willingly.

When she got to her destination, his arms closed tightly around her waist, spinning her around. He buried his face in her neck, laughing when she refused to let go of him. He pulled back enough to look in her eyes and he brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. He gazed deeply into her eyes, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I missed you," she whispered, brushing her nose against his.

"I missed you, too. How's Molly?" he asked.

"Great, great, she misses you. A lot. So did I." she explained. She pressed her lips to his once more, before pulling back and staring at him. "Where is he?"

Sam chuckled, "In the car."

He's never seen her run so fast.

RBRBRBRB

Andy gasped at the sight that greeted her upon opening the car door. There sat a good sized puppy, probably 15-20 pounds easily. He was tan with a black muzzle and ears. A long tail stuck out, wagging enthusiastically at her. Andy put her hands around his middle, lifting him up enough to put her hands under his back legs, holding him to her. He licked her face, reaching up his paws in a playful manner.

"Hi, Merdock," she greeted, "I'm your new mommy. And you must be the cutest thing ever, yes you are," she cooed. She rubbed her nose on the dog's wet one, laughing again when he licked her. She hugged him tighter, smiling at Sam.

RBRBRBRB

Andy waited outside in the front when Sam to wear Molly down, getting the meet-and-greet over with before introducing Murray, the dog's nickname. She sat in the fall air, hugging the dog tightly, keeping him warm. Sam appeared at the door, waving her in.

She marched up the walkway to the house, holding Merdock up; making sure Molly couldn't get him. She sat down on the couch, Molly sniffing at the bundle in her arms.

"Now, Molly," Sam started, "This is Merdock. He's one of Andy's baby's. Your new brother. And that means that even if you want to, no biting until he's your size. Which shouldn't be that long. But be nice. Go ahead," she told Andy, who carefully began to set Murray down. Molly sniffed, and then turned away.

"Molly, come on. Do something other than ignore him," Andy instructed. Molly glanced at her, turning her head away in annoyance. Andy looked to Sam for guidance.

"McNally, you aren't doing it right. Watch the pro. Molly, you listen here," the dog turned to face her dad, "Merdock is your brother. No, he's not taking your place, no, he's not more important than you. And no, we don't feel like you're not good enough for us. This is for you and Mommy. When she stops going to work, you and Murray have to guard the house. And Mommy might not always be able to play, so you can play with Merdock."

Molly turned back to Merdock, sniffing him. She shook her head, and then nudged him with her snout. Andy held her breath for a moment, watching as Molly laid down next to the pup, pushing him slightly.

'"You really think that will work? That she understood?" she asked, confused. Sam looked at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, kissing her hair.

"McNally, I doubt that she understands _every _word, but she does understand," he explained gently.

"Just like you and me. Half the time, I don't understand every word of your old people talk, but I understand." A cry of laughter rang out when Sam tickled her, but quickly died down when Molly curled her lip at the jumping puppy. Sam scolded her, and then made her get on the couch with him when McNally played with Merdock.

**RBRBRBRB**

**Okay, this was my longest chapter, almost 2000 words long. Which is pretty sad. Anyways, this didn't live up to my complete expectations, but this chapter wasn't planned out. Which is weird. I know. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. This took me a bit to write, so, see ya next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I can't tell you how sorry I am for not updating. I really, truly, can't. I only have a few excuses, like school, trying to get ready for dog shows, but now I have to take a break because MJ got hit by a car, but he's okay. So now, I have a bunch of free time. Also, because those are my only excuse, I should also tell you that I've just been lazy. I know my story is lacking, there's no drama yet, whatever, it will come soon. **

**RBRBRBRBRB**

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Gail exclaimed, hands over her pale face. Traci looked at her and Andy, confused. Andy went up behind Gail and pulled the extra material of the dress away from her slim body, showing the extra fabric. Tracy shook her head, going up to calm Gail down, who was crying silently, angry and frustrated.

"Listen here, Icy, I don't know what happened, but suddenly your dress is too big. And I know you, girl, you are the toughest one I know. You aren't going to let something like this ruin your wedding day. I'm a mom, I could've had a career as a seamstress, don't fuss," Traci explained, grabbing a pair of scissors and a sewing kit from the corner.

Andy chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "No offence, Trace, but are you sure that you can sew a _wedding_ dress, 3 hours before the wedding?" she asked. Traci gave her a pointed look, choosing to ignore her. She moved behind Gail, fixing up and placing pins. Andy watched from the front as Traci cut and sewed, and watched as Gail cringed.

At one point, Traci cursed and Gail freaked out again, claiming that she was screwed. Traci merely shushed her, grabbing a white piece of silk.

"Get over here, Gail," she instructed. Gail listened, and moved to stand in front of the dark woman. Traci wrapped the silk around her waist, tying it in a fancy bow at the back. "There," she said, "No one will ever be able to tell I cut it. Now, I may not be a seamstress, but I am an awesome improviser. So can I trust ya'll to trust me from now on?"

Andy and Gail laughed, nodding their promise.

"So," Andy started after a while of silence, "You guys have fun at the bachelorette party?" she asked, trying to start a conversation. Noelle nodded, laughing at the memory of the night before.

"Are you kidding me? Final day of freedom I spent getting drunk and watching male strippers, I had a freakin' blast," Gail all but screamed, the entire room breaking out in laughter. It quickly died down, though, when Gail's mom walked in.

"Hi Super Attendant Peck," the girls said simultaneously. Gail visibly tensed, knowing that her mom did not approve of the marriage. Andy reached down and grabbed Gail's hand, showing support for the young blonde.

"Gail, could I speak to you for a second?" she asked, but quite frankly it was more of an order. Gail glanced at Andy, who nodded and squeezed her hand tighter. Gail gave a small smile that was only for reassurance. She stiffly stood and followed her mother out the door and into the hallway. Andy glanced at Traci and Noelle, hoping they could keep the Peck's meeting a secret. They shook their heads, promising that they wouldn't tell. The air in the room was tense for a few minutes, waiting upon Gail's return.

When Gail reentered, her face was one of sadness. Her eyes were welled up with tears, her red lips turned in a frown, hands clenched by her side. Andy immediately stood, opening her arms for the bride, who accepted the offer. Andy brushed her hand through her hair, another hand rubbing circles on her back. Traci and Noelle stood, listening to Gail repeat what her mother had said to her. That's when Noelle stormed out of the room, quickly finding Elaine Peck, who was talking to a fellow officer.

"The nerve of you," they heard Noelle exclaim to the older woman. Gasps could be heard from the hallway and the room. The three girls could practically see the anger on the older Peck's face.

"The nerve of me? The nerve of you, talking to your superior like that. How dare you!" she retorted. Andy, Gail and Traci all know what was coming next, Noelle went into mother mode.

"No, you listen here, Mrs. Peck. I am sorry to talk to my superior like this, but right now, I'm not talking to you as Officer Williams, I'm talking to you, a mother, as a mother. And Ellie isn't grown up yet, so I don't know how it feels, but I can assure you that I wouldn't tell her that I was disappointed on who she was marrying. Your daughter has so much to offer, she's a great cop and a great woman. But if you keep putting her down, she will just have less to offer. I know that you want the best for her, and maybe Diaz isn't the _best _choice for her, but if he makes her happy, she will have so much _more_ to offer."

Elaine Peck just gawked at Noelle, but after a moment, closed her mouth. She nodded; not realizing that even thought she wanted the best for her daughter, telling her what she can and cannot do wasn't the way to do so. Elaine walked up to Noelle, and informed her that when she got back to the division, they would be having a talk.

Elaine passed Noelle, walking into the bride's room. Gail was sandwiched between Traci and Andy, who were trying to comfort her. They stared at Elaine, scared, but refused to leave their friend.

"I, uh, I guess I'm sorry for acting in such a _childish_ manner, but you need to realize that I want the best for you. But, if the best for you is being with Craig-"

"Chris."

"-Makes you be your best, I guess I can't stand in your way. Now, if you don't mind, the wedding starts in 45 minutes, you better get ready," she smiled. Gail stood up from the group, stood in front of her mother, and hugged her. If Elaine Peck was expecting anything, a hug wasn't it. The hug was short and awkward, and after, Elaine left, allowing the girls to get ready.

RBRBRBRB

"I must say, Chris, when I first met you at the academy, I was wary. You didn't seem like a bad boy, someone who I was usually attracted to you. But something about your church boy getup had me pining, can't believe I just said that," Gail paused her vows, waiting for laughter to die down. "But I liked you. And as much as I'd rather be going after Swarek," another round of laughter, along with a chuckling Sam and Andy winking at him, "but you caught my eye. And when you kissed me after we caught that murderer, I was done. I guess I knew that I love you after that. You were it for me."

The crowd "Aw"d and gushed at how the two opposites found each other. Chris laughed, hoping to hurry so he could kiss his bride. The ceremony continued, Chris whispering to Gail every now and then, but the big moment arrived. They leaned in to each other, the moment their lips met, it was like the first time all over again.

RBRBRBRBRBRB

Sam hugged Andy closed to his body as they danced on the floor. He inhaled her vanilla scent, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her neck and heard her giggle. How he loved the sound. He sat on the side during the wedding, his eyes never left Andy. During the wedding, he realized that he was more than excited for his. When he watched Diaz and Peck on the floor, having their first dance, he thought of him and Andy. How it would feel to hold his wife for the first time.

He swung her away from him, pulling her back quickly. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear, knowing that it would make her blush. He wanted this, a life forever with Andy, the dogs….

"Andy," he panicked, "Where are the dogs? We brought them with us." He looked frantically around the room crowded with people, momentarily annoyed to have his mind off his fiancé. Andy laughed, pointed to a Megan and Olivia Shaw, along with Leo and Ellie Best, who were playing with Merdock, whilst being supervised by Oliver. Sam nodded, "What about Molly?"

Andy's eyes widened, realizing that she couldn't find the odd coloured dog anywhere. She searched the room with her eyes, finally landing upon Chris and Gail, who laughed as Molly spun in circles for a treat, attempting to dance.

"I think she's okay," she assured. Sam nodded, knowing that the dog was friendly with everyone and could easily pick him out from a crowd. He looked back down into Andy's eyes, seeing the love and passion in them. _Oh yeah, he couldn't wait to get married._

**RBRBRBRBRB**

**So, was that chapter okay? I know that it wasn't really Sam/Andy, but oh well. I also have to write another story anyways, not a fanfiction, sadly, because I finished my extra credit, so this is extra, extra credit. And I have to re-bandage MJ's paw. So I will write soon, I hope.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I know I haven't updated this story since last year, but even though I knew where it was going, something was missing so I didn't know how to get them there. So, I'm going to improvise for now. And quite frankly, the reason I decided to update this story was due to a very kind review which made me realize that people do enjoy my writing.**

**This is my second try at this chapter, due to the fact I forgot Andy's eggo was preggo, so she was unable to be drunk n' donuts. **

**Also, since I don't seem to personally PM each one who reviews (my bad), I just want to say how truly happy it makes me to know people actually like my writing.**

**And instead of writing, I have made a few pictures of Sam/Andy scenes featured in promos or the show. I'm not sure if I should post them somewhere on my profile?**

**My pets and I are fine, as I am down to two dogs and a cat. Maibe, who was half of Sam's dog's personality, is no longer with us. So even finding a happy medium between the two dogs I combined is difficult with missing one.**

**Without further-a-do, After Burn, chapter 8.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue**

**RBRBRBRB**

"Andy," Sam warned, "Go to bed." Andy jutted her bottom lip out, pouting. Something he usually found adorable, but his patience was running low. The wedding was fun, and overall he had a great night. Until the drive home, that is.

Andy had accidentally let it slip that her ex boyfriend was not only back in town, but out of jail. And not just any prison, the same one Callaghan was in. As soon as he caught on and asked how she knew, she stated that he had called her and asked to meet up. And ended it with that.

He knew she would never cheat or even stray a bit, he was just confused. Were all her exes coming back to haunt her? None of his came back and tried to kidnap and torture and stalk. He had no idea what that was with. It made no sense. It was like that Pilgrim Kid versus the World or whatever it was called. She didn't have seven deadly exes that he had to beat through video game-like graphics.

This was reality. And in reality, guys were crazy about Andy McNally.

His McNally.

And he was unwilling to share with her past boyfriends. Or any other guys for that matter.

"You have to come with me," Andy insisted a moment later, pulling on his arm. Her big doe eyes were pleading, and he knew she was sorry about what had happened. She reached out, her small hand wrapping around his wrist, pulling him to her. She stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to his lips.

He didn't want to respond to it, he was mad at her, but it was Andy. He couldn't not respond. He could feel her smile when his lips slid over hers'. She snaked a hand up his chest, over his broad shoulders, and to the back of his neck, fingers playing with his black hair. He hooked an arm around her neck, pulling her closer. He bent down, changing the angle, so he could kiss her deeper.

He was the one who pulled away first, barking outside alerting him to the dogs which remained in the backseat of his truck. He sucked in a lung full of air, watching her breathe heavily, lips swollen. "I have to get the dogs, then I'll be back," he promised, giving up all energy it took to be angry. She nodded, pulling him down for one last kiss before letting him go.

Down the hall, Sam's senses went into overdrive. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, a sudden wave of suspicion hitting him. Something was off, he wasn't sure what it was, but it was off.

He left the front door open, and the cold air of the night assaulted his flesh, giving him goose bumps. He could hear Molly in the truck, and every few seconds, see her. She was frantic, throwing herself around in the back seat, paws smacking against the window as her head was tossed violently on her neck. Blood curdling barks and screams filled the small cab.

He ran to the truck, something was very wrong with the dogs. He cupped his hands around his face, shielding himself from any outside light. He could finally see the inside clearly to notice Murray huddled on the truck floor. Molly was still screaming, not noticing her worried father at the window.

Sam ripped open the front door, scaring Molly, who froze on the spot. Sam took it as a good sign, slowly grabbing the handle, which was concealed by the drivers' door, and pulled the door open. He reached in slowly, as not to startle the dog; that appeared traumatized for some reason.

As soon as he touched her chain collar, she snapped, lips curled, teeth barred. A low, guttural sound came from the back of her throat. Sam was scared. Not just scared, but terrified. Not once has he seen the dog like this; so rabid, so scared.

"Molly," he said cooly, trying to calm her down. Molly's hackles were raised, as she backed up in front of the puppy. Sam knew that his tries were futile, the dog wasn't going to calm down. He sighed, ready to take action.

Out of nowhere, Sam reached out, grabbing the dog by the collar and scruff, tearing her out of the truck. He fell into the lawn, Molly on top of him, growling and clawing. He wrestled her so he was on top of her, pinning her to the ground, asserting his dominance.

Murray crawled out of the truck, scrambling through the open door and into the house. Sam stood up, hand still clamped on the rabid dog's scruff. He pulled her into the house behind him, up the stairs, and into the upstairs bathroom. All the way she howled and barked, snarling and struggling. Sam didn't know what was going on, but until he knew where the puppy was, Molly was remaining in the bathroom.

Andy appeared at the bottom of the steps, puppy at her side. Her eyes were glazed over, but she was clearly worried. Sam stepped down one step, looking into her eyes, warning.

"Take Merdock, put him in our bedroom and close yourselves in there until I get her into the spare room. I'll call the vets tomorrow morning and take her in, something's wrong, Andy. Stay in the bedroom and I'll be right there," he instructed. Andy was confused, but tapped her hip and walked to their room, puppy following. As soon as he heard the dog close, he placed his forehead to the door, listening. It was silent, minus the heavy panting.

The knob squeaked as he pushed the door open, the light blinding him momentarily. Once she was in view, Sam took a good look at the dog. She huddled herself in the bathtub, quiet, eyes large and frightened. She was visibly shaking, paw tapping on the bottom of the tub. He slid through the crack of the door and the wall, being loud enough so Molly could hear him, quiet enough not to make a scene.

He closed the door behind him, reaching out slowly, then stopping. "Molly," he called, "C'mere girl." She gingerly stepped out of the tub, making her way to him slowly. He sat down to her height, legs crossed. She stood with her front legs on his crossed ones, clouded brown, blue and white eyes staring into his. Her eyes were something else. They were normally clear, though, instead of the clouded shade that dulled them.

He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her head, before standing up. She struggled at first, but then gave up, lying limp. He walked down the stairs, dog bouncing with each step, and then standing in the spare room. He dropped her into the crate, closing the cage door so she couldn't escape.

Once he left the room, he made his way back outside to see if something had spooked the dog. Outside, it was dead silent, cars could barely be heard. He turned on his phone, using it as a makeshift flashlight, and trailing the fence. He stopped when he came across the gate door, which had swung open. Too tired to investigate, he made a mental note to tell Jerry tomorrow, closed the door, and reentered the house.

RBRBRBRBRB

"She okay?" Andy asked, once Sam had entered the bedroom. She sat on the bed, puppy half in her lap, half sprawled on the mattress. Her eyes were wide and she obviously heard everything. He stared into her brown orbs, seeing a mix of emotion; fear, fatigue, blame.

"I don't know. Something had her spooked to the point she turned on me. Or maybe something biological. I don't know. The fence was open, so maybe we had raccoons." Sam explained, reaching a hand out to cup her jaw.

Andy stood abruptly, Murray falling off her lap, and began pacing. Her eyes were wide and she kept running a hand through her hair, messing it up. She had already stripped down and was wearing one of his shirts. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "this is my fault."

Sam stood grabbing her wrists and stopping her pacing. "Andy, what happened?" Now his anger began flaming again. He felt bad about turning on her, but she knew something he didn't. And it was important that he knew.

"Kevin," she stated, eyes watering.

"Who the hell is Kevin, McNally?" he demanded, grip tightening on her wrists. She didn't flinch, so he knew he didn't hurt her.

"He came back in town and he threatened me and he must've gotten to Molly somehow. Oh my God, Sam. What if he poisoned her?" she exclaimed. He removed his hands from her arms, cupping the back of her head, pressing his lips to her hair in reassurance. Her fingers wrapped around his forearms, leaning into his touch.

"The vet isn't opened, so we'll wait out the night. I'll take her in first thing," he promised. He let go of Andy, removing his shirt, and then pulling his belt out of their loops. He noticed she hadn't said anything, so he gave her a once over as he removed his pants. He could tell she wanted to say something, so he gave her an expectant look.

"Can I come?" she asked, voice weak and barely above a whisper. She refused to make eye contact, opting to focus on Murray, trailing her fingers over the folds in his face. Sam thought about it for a moment, not sure if he wanted her to accompany him at the moment.

"We'll see," he said, "Now, I'm going to check on her, and then you can explain to me about this Kevin character, got it?" Andy nodded, a stray tear falling down her check. Sam grasped her face, kissing away the droplet. He whispered his love for her, kissed her lips, then left.

RBRBRBRB

**Sorry, I know this was short and had really only one scene. It also included little Sam/Andy, but it's in preparation of the next chapter. I'm still figuring out what to do with Molly, but for now I'm keeping her.**

**Hope you enjoyed, r&r**


	9. Chapter 9

**Why haven't I updated? I haven't been keeping tabs on this story, so I wasn't aware that people were actually reviewing. But you guys were, because you are all awesome. I will not be updating tomorrow, most likely, as I will be at Jen's house after school. So I will be busy. Maybe Thursday I will, to keep me from screaming about RB that night.**

**Since I've been such an absent writer, here ya go.**

**RBRBRBRB**

"Andy," he called as he returned to the room. She looked up, hand still petting the dog. She was nervous, he knew, so she couldn't keep still. He slowly padded over and sat down, bed dipping under his solid weight. Her eyes shifted up so she could look at him, tears brimming her eye lids. She gave a short sniffle, and he could tell that whatever it was, it was bothering her. "Andy?" he tried again.

She shook her head, hair falling over her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whimpered as if she had accidentally hurt his dog. He shook her head and cupped her jaw, silently telling her to go on. "When you left to go help Sarah, he called and asked to meet up," she explained.

"And you agreed?" Sam asked, baffled.

She shrugged. "He's the kind of guy who expected me to wait for him. I felt that he deserved to know that I didn't. He deserved to know so he could move on, like I did. So I agreed to meet him at the park. I brought Molly, in case anything happened. I explained to him that I was engaged and had a family and I had moved on.

"Then he said that he met Luke in the prison. So it was the whole _oh-here-we-go-again _thing. The thing is, Kevin is they kind of person that if you tell him to do something, he sure as hell will complete that task."

"What task is that?" he wondered, everything beginning to make sense.

"To break us up. He said our lives would be hell. Luke had made him promise to do it. Kevin doesn't break promises." Her voice was becoming shaky and fearful. So she wasn't surprised when Sam pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "He was in prison for drug distribution, nothing too big. So I shouldn't be so scared. But Luke is behind this, so I can't help it."

Sam began to rock her back and forth, trying to sooth her. "What would he want with Molly?"

Andy looked up, "He knows we have a dog. And Molly proved just how protective she was of us, so maybe getting the dog out of the way would make us an easier target." It may have been a long shot, but it was the only one they had.

She felt Sam nod, knowing he had a lot to take in. She moved off of him and pulled him down to lie next to her in bed. It was a silent invitation to sleep, even though it would have been difficult to do so with everything going on.

"So am I facing your seven evil exes?" Sam asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen on them.

Andy turned on her side to face him. "No," she gave a dry laugh, "This is just a cruel coincidence. Once this is over, we'll be fine. I promise."

Sam mirrored her position. "Promises are meant to be broken," he reminded.

She reached over and kissed his lips, pulling back and looking him in the eye. "Oh, Sam, wouldn't that have made this situation easier?"

RBRBRBRB

"Why wouldn't you just file a report, Andy? They're threatening you," Sam warned before leaving the room to get Molly. Andy followed slowly, not sure if she actually should. When she rounded the corner, she watched as Sam tried, but failed, to pull the dog out of the crate. She was still growling aggressively, so Sam had to rethink his plan.

Slamming the crate door, which sent the dog to the back, he pulled a rope lead off a shelf in the corner of the room. Stalking back to the kennel, he held the loop in front of the opening, waiting. She watched as the dog tried to dart out, instead getting tangled in the rope. She thrashed for a moment in surprise, but eventually calmed enough to stand still.

It was the first time either one of them had gotten a good look at the dog. Her fur was matted and flattened on one side. Her eyes were wild and pupils dilated. She was panting furiously, as if she had just chased down a rabbit, and her body was quivering with muscle spasms. Her head was also tilted to the side, slightly, and her eyes shifted wildly around. She looked like hell.

Remembering his question, Andy responded. "I don't know. I didn't think he would be a big threat, I thought I could handle this one." Her eyes were wide and pleading that he understood. She backed away when he made his way towards her, leash short and tight to the dog couldn't lunge. Andy felt guilty about the dog and silently prayed that she would be alright.

"You can't do everything on your own, McNally. You and I? We're a team. The division? Also a team. We have each other's backs, so don't try and separate yourself from that. Maybe it is a personal problem that you don't want them to know about, so tell Frank. He will get Shaw and Nash and our friends to help. If you don't stop this now, everyone is going to know."

It was a slap to the face. A warning that had much more meaning that she had originally thought. She knew he was right, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She felt stupid and blind about how she could possibly forget that she had more than two options for safety. She should've remembered that.

She heard his heavy footsteps going down the stairs, and then yelping. Probably Molly trying to get to the puppy. It made her cringe. The door slamming was her cue to go downstairs. She ran to the window, the ever growing dog hot on her heals. She kept her eyes on the silver truck until it had disappeared completely.

Knowing exactly what she had to do, she grabbed her keys and sweater. She made sure to give Murray a quick peck before closing the door behind her. She had a family to protect, and she wasn't letting it being torn away from her again.

RBRBRBRB

Sam waited impatiently in the waiting room at the veterinarian hospital. He had ignored the woman beside him, who was trying to make conversation. Normally, Sam would engage, bragging about Molly like a proud father. Now it was more like his little girl had gotten detention, and the woman next to him was bragging about her kid's grade point average.

He had been waiting for about an hour, while the doctor ran tests. He had made conversation with Linda, who had kept asking questions about the baby. He didn't know anything yet, neither of them did.

"So how are you guys, after everything?" she had asked, motherly. It was a touchy subject that she never had brought up before. Sam smiled at her maternal instinct, as she seemed to view Sam as one of her own.

"Everything is good. We're starting the family, ya know? It's just…" he paused, not sure if he should continue. Her questioning look pegged him on. "Callaghan met up with one of her exes in prison. So we have to deal with him harassing us now. We think he may have something to do with Molly."

She gasped, surprised at how tough his last year was. Linda was always Sam's mother figure, ever since he had gotten custody of the dog. And he had always appreciated her wisdom and advice. _Maybe she had something for this situation_.

"So," he rambled, "That's why we need to get twice as many blood tests and other tests. And why the vet couldn't touch her fur. She may be holding evidence. But I texted Jerry and he's coming in and he'll go through her fur. She's evidence as of now, she may be our only way to figure out what's going on. So she'll have to sedated, I'm guessing. She's turned on me."

"Oh Sam," she breathed, reaching out to take a hold of his hand. "You know she doesn't mean it. She still loves you very much. You're her dad and you take great care of her. she's going to pull through this."

He nodded, and thanked her. Turning back, he collapsed into his seat; exhausted.

RBRBRB

The vet, an older man with a balding head, called Sam into the back room. He followed expectantly, curious as to what the vet had found. The room was small and welcoming; yellow walls with an x-ray machine, pamphlets, dog food, pictures. An examination table stood in the middle, a counter lining one of the walls.

"Did you find anything?" Sam asked, anxious.

The vet, Dr. Johnson, nodded. "We ran her blood tests and it came back relatively normal. So we did an Initial Neurological exam. So we would flash a light into her eye to see the pupil and eye response. The size of the pupils and their response to light will help determine to severity of the situation.

"We also did a physical exam. So we went over her like we would for her yearly exams. We did it to see if there were any other injuries; physical ones. Possibly to her chest or spinal cord. It came back normal. Although, she is sensitive about being touched around her front left leg.

"Once we got an idea of what was going on, we went ahead and did a radiograph and CT scan. It would help determine if there were any abnormalities in the brain. We noticed her brain appeared to be swollen. Usually due to head trauma of sorts. And after all our tests, that's what it pointed to. Do you have any idea about how it could've happened?"

Sam thought back to the night prior. "I left her in the car with the puppy, so I could take my girlfriend inside. Maybe she heard or seen something outside of the truck. Normally, she'll toss herself around in order to get it. So she could have hit her head on the side of the truck," he explained, hoping it could have been as simple as that.

Dr. Johnson thought for a moment. "That could very well be what happened. But until we know for sure, we'll put her on mannitol, and it should help decrease the swelling by drawing fluid out of the brain and slowing the production of spinal fluid. We would also recommend oxygen therapy. And if you could prevent her from any sneezing and coughing reflexes, as it raises intracranial pressure, which is pressures within the skull or cranium. I know that may be difficult, because when Australian shepherds get excited, they sneeze. And they cough a lot. So just keep her calm and airways clear.

"Any increase in intracranial pressure can contribute to neurological deterioration such as dullness, stupor, or coma."

Sam only shook his head. It was a lot to take in. A lot of damage had been done by something so simple. He wondered what could have spooked her. A raccoon? Bird? Kevin? If had been the last one, Sam would have to be held back. Not only was he making his and Andy's life hell, he had messed with their first 'child'. And no one messes with Sam Swarek's family.

"Could it cause her aggression?" he asked, trying to connect it all.

"Yes," Dr. Johnson explained, "Head trauma in dogs usually always affects their behavior. Now, what about home treatments? Keep her warm, and handle her with great care. She's not aware of what she is doing, so she may lash out and snap. Keep her on leash at all times, especially outside. If she is going to be unattended, which I would not recommend, keep her crated to prevent any more trauma."

A pause, and then the doctor spoke again. "Would you like to see her?"

Sam was interrupted by his ringing phone. He held up a finger in apology, and answered. "Swarek."

"Hey buddy," Jerry greeted cheerfully. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Did you find anything?" he asked. Jerry and Traci had gone over to see if they could find anything around the house in hopes to what spooked the dogs.

"Yep," he exclaimed. "A torn piece of shirt. Even has a small blood stain. I'm assuming whoever was in your yard last night cut himself. See, I told you it was a good thing to keep the splintered wood."

"So do we know who it is?" Sam questioned, ignoring his friend's gloating.

"Traci went to the station to get it tested. Anyone in particular you want me to run it in comparison?"

"Kevin Hartlin."

**RBRBRBRB**

**Hmmm…. Will it be Kevin? Who knows? Not me. Yeah, I know, hardly any Sam/Andy. Just lots of shit to do with the dog. No worries, McSwarek will be back after this announcement from our sponsors.**

**Anyways, I realized how awful I have been. I keep threatening to get rid of the dog and I have been repeating myself with her getting hurt. Man, I feel mean. This shall be her last injury. And no, Merdock shall have none either.**


End file.
